Content Warning: This section of the guide references sex trafficking.

Throughout the novel, aside from Jules and her team trying to find Woman on Fire, the question of who has the greatest, legal claim to the painting hovers over the narrative’s action. As a mystery thriller designed primarily to entertain, Woman on Fire does not attempt to answer questions or uncover heretofore unknown Nazi crimes against Jewish persons or artists. Nevertheless, the book touches upon an aspect of Nazi history that is less known than others and that continues to cause problems in the present day.

The legal right to ownership of the painting in the novel is convoluted and complex, and a court of law would have a difficult time trying to ascertain its rightful owner if multiple parties submitted a claim. While Woman on Fire is a work of fiction, there are real-life examples that are not too dissimilar. One example is the case the Dorville family brought against the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du Louvre, as well as against France's culture ministry and four other smaller museums, demanding the restitution of 21 works from the collection of Armand Isaac Dorville, whose art collection was sold following his death.